Self-replenishing fluid power-transmitter.



PA TENTED OGT Q, 1906. P. P. RICE.

NISHING FLUID POWER TRANSMITTER.

APPLIOATION FILED June, 1906.

\ SELF 'RBPLE nru'rnn s'rA'rns PERCY F. RISE, OF TU ra'frnu'r oiuuon.

STIN, CA LTFORNIA.

To (11/ whom it mrty/ (EOYLCBP/L.

Be it known that i, PERUY F. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tustin,

in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented a new and useful Self-itepleinshmg h luid Power-'1ransmitter, of w lncn the follmving is a specification.

This invention relates to flexible speedtransmittiug devices in which the driving element operates the driven clement through the medium of a confined fluid, the driven element rotating at equal speed with the driving element when the fluid is prevented from circulation and the driven element rotating at a variant speed from the driving 'element when the intermediate fluid is pcrmitted to circulate, the ratio of movement between the driving and driven elements be ing dependent upon the rate at which the fluid is allowed to circulate. In a former application of mine, filed April 10, 1905, Serial No. 254,737, I have shown and described such a device; and the present invention consists of improvements in the specific construction shown in the former application, and it also includes means for replenishing the fluid. l. have found in practice that when such a device is operated the fluid will escape very slowly, even if the deivce is well constructed and the parts fit perfectly, and while such escape of fluid is slight still when thedevice is to be used for a long period and is to be subjected to severe duty it is necessary to provide means for replenishing the fluid, so that the amount of fluid confined in the chambers will be a fixed quantity, for when an appreciable amount of fluid has escaped the operation of the device is impaired to an extent which, it is believed, would prohibit its practicability.

The main object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective means for automatically replenishing the fluid, so that the device may be operated without requiring attention for a long period of time.

Other objects are to simplify and improve the specific construction of the device generally and particularly the valve shifting or controlling feature.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Anplication filed January 16, 1906. Serial No. 296,244

comprises a shaft 2.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

line 00 Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontal diametrical section taken through the complete device. Fig. at is an enlarged section taken through the replenishing-pump, showing the same in detail.

The driving element comprises a shaft 1 in line with the driven element, which latter Rigidly mounted on the shaft is a sleeve 3, into which the end of the shaft 1. projects, 1 he sleeve forming a journal for maintaining good alinement-o'f the two shafts. Formed on the sleeve dis a heart-shaped cam 41, thediametrical distance between opposite faces or points of the cam being the sa1ne--that is to say, all diameters of the ea in are equal-the cam being of equal diametrical extension throughout, the dia1n eters being taken as lines passing through the center of rotation of the cam and extending to the bearing-faces of the cam at each side. For example, the lengths of the dotted lines cbcd'efare equal.

Rigidly mounted onthe shaft 1 is a fiywheel 5 with four cylinders 6 castpreferably integral therewith and projecting radiallyinwardlyfrom the rim thereof. Mounted in each cylinder is a piston 7, having a roller 8, which bears against the face of the earn 4, each'piston being provided with a piston-ring 9 and being cut away to form a recess 10. The fly-wheel 5 is provided with four ports 11, which communicate with the respective cylinders 6, as shown in Fig. 3.

A valve-plate 12 is bolted to the fly-wheel 5 and has a flanged hub 1.3, which is j ournaled on the sleeve 3. The valve-plate 12 has an outer boss 14, arranged eccentrically of but close to the hub 13, and the valve-plate 12 and boss 14 are bored to receive a valve 15. The valve 15 has an annular recess 16, and its outer shell is provided with four ports 1.7. The valve-plate 12 is provided. with four passages 18, which radiate from the valve, each passage 18 terminating at'a port 19, the re-. speetive ports 19 registering with the respec tive ports 11, formed in the fly-wheel 5. The valve 15 has a ste1n.20, which extends through a stufling-box 21, thestem being rifled, having spiral grooves 22. A nut 23 is mounted on the rifled portion of the valve-stem 20 and is non-revoluble, being held from rotation by Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a 1 side elevation of the device with the valve plate removed. Fig. 2 is a cross-section 1 taken through the valve-plate and valve on i a guide-bracket 24, which projects out from the valve-phi e12, the nut 23 being grooved to engage the guide-bracket 2d and slide along the same when the nut is reciprocated.

roo

The nut 23 is operated by a shiftesleeve 41,

the nut enga 'ng in a groove 25, formed in.

the sleeve. he sleeve 24has another groove 26,.which is engaged by a forked'operatinglever 27. By swin 'ng the lever 27 the sleeve 24 is pushed a ong the sleeve 3, there by slidin the nut 23 along the guide-bracket 24, and t e valve 15 is turned as the nutrides over the rifled valve-stem.

In order to replenish the li uid and'kee the confining passages and cy inders full, T

have provided an automatic self-governing pump. u The rim of the fly-wheel 5 has a radial pocket 28, in which'is screwed a tube 29, (shown in detail in Fig. 4,) having a perforated wall 30, formed with a seat to receive a ballvalve 31, the outwardmovement'of the ball ton 34 to yieldingl'y holdthe piston extended to the limit on the eccentricfrod 37. The ec-- centric-rod 37 has one end formed with astrap 37, which is mounted onan'eccentric- 39, formed on the lseeve. 3 next to the cam 4; The ocket 28'communicates with a passage 40, t e latter communicating with one of the passages 18, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The interior of the cylinders .6, passages 18, valve-space 16, passage 40, and the space within the fly-wheel are filled with fluid,preferably oil, and when the valve 15 is turned into the position shown in Fig. 2 it prevents circulation of oil within the passages 18 and c linders 6, and the pistons 7 are thus positively prevented from outward radial moven1ent,as' the shaft 1 is rotated, the rollers'8 of the pistons 7 are locked around the earn 4, and motion is thus imparted to the sleeve 3 and shaft2, the parts of the device rotating bodily as one mass with norelative' move ment between them, thus driving the shaft 2 at the same speed as shaft 1. By rocking the lever 27 sleeve 41 is moved along the sleeve 3, and the nut 23 is thus shifted along-- the rifled valve-stem 20, which turns the lat-- ter a degree corresponding to the amount the lever 27 is rocked, and when the valve is so turned as to bring its ports 17 artially into register with the passages 18 t e oil within the passages 18 and cylinders 6 is allowed to circulate, so that as the shaft 1 rotates motion is imparted to the heart-shaped cam 4 through the medium of the rollers 8 and istons 7,'the rate ofrnovement of the cam 4 emg dependent upon the s eed at which the oi is permitted to circu ate through the valve, thus driving the sleeve 3 and driven shaft 2 at a slower speed than the shaft 1. If

the valve 15 is turned to bring its ports 17 1 into full perfect register with the passages 18,

free circulation of the oil is secured, so that no power or movement is imparted to the driven shaft 2 While the shaft, 1 is rotated". When thevalve 15 is adjusted to give relative movement between shafts 1 and 2, the piston 34 will be reciprocated by the eccentric 39, so

that as the piston 34 moves toward the center of the fly-wheel and uncovers the port 33 in the tube 29 oil from the interior of the flywheel will pass through the port 33 into the tube 29, which passageof the oil is'facilitated, asv the centrifu al force im arted to the oil within the fly-wheel keeps tiie oil at the outer part of-the fly-wheel next to the rim. As the iston 34 is moved forward by the eccentric the oil within the tube 29 is forced through the perforated wall 30, past the ball-valve 31, and

through the pocket 38 and passage 40 into the passage 18, thus replenishing the oil in the circulation. It is obvious that this pumping of the oil into the circulation occurs whenever there is a diiierence in speed between the shafts 1 and 2, and in order to revent breakage of parts I have introduce the spring 38,

which will yield when the circulating-passages are filled. The spring 38 is arranged to allow the piston 34 to yield or remain'station ary during a full stroke of the eccentric 39.

In this manner the oil is automatically relenished in the circulatin I passa es, and the 9 atter are thus kept com etely ii led so long as there is surplus oil in t e interior of the flywheel, and as the space in the latter aiiords a large reservoir capacity sufficient oil may be stored therein to enable the device to be run for an indefinite period. The oil which is stored within the fly-wheel also serves to lu-" bricate all of the working parts of the device.

In order to balance the device, the valveplate may have cast thereon a lug 42, arranged on the side of the axis opposite the valve.

The main leakage is from the cylinders into the interior of the'fly-wheel, and as the latter is inclosed and acts as the supply-reservoir it is obvious that oil leaking from the cylinders is not lost, but used again and again. In this manner the oil is conserved.

On account of the general contour of the cam it has been termed heart-shaped for the sake of brevity, and it should be understood that its precise shape need not necessarily be exactly absolutely like the drawing; but it is essential that its diameters all be equal in length, and therefore in the claims such term refers to a cam having such diameters.

What I claim is v 1. A movable driving element, a driven element, a circulatory system for confining a liquid intermediate the two elements, means for maintaining a constant contact between the liquid and the driving and driven elements, a supply-reservoir adapted to receive the leakage from the circulatory system, and

means for autol' iatically replenishing the liquid in the circulatory system from the supply-reservoir.

2. A driving element, a driven element, a circulatory system for confining a liquid. intermediate/the two elements, means for allowing a variationv in capacity of certain parts of the confining means but maintaining at the same time a constant capacity of the confining means as a Whole, a supplyreservoir adapted to receive the leakage from the circulatory system, and means for automatically replenishing the liquid in the circulatory system from the supply-reservoiiz 3. A driving element, a driven clement, means for confining a liquid intermediate the two elements, means cooperating with the driving element for shifting the liquid when means extraneous o the driving element moves relatively to the driven element, adjustable means for retarding the shifting of the liquid, and positivelyoperating mechanism for automatically replenishing the liquid.

4. A driving element, a driven element, a cylinder carried by one .of said elements, a cam carried by the other element, a piston in the cylinder for 006 erating with the cam,

1 the cylinder but com- 1n unicating therewith for confining a liquid, means cooperating with the cam for maintaining a constant capacity of the confining means irrespective of the position of the piston, a supply-reservoir for receiving the leakage from the cylinder, and means for automatically transferring liquid from the supply-reservoir to the confining means and cylinder to maintain full quantity of liquid therein.

5. A driving element, a driven element, a cylinder carried by one of said elements, a cam carried by the other element, a piston in the cylinder for 006 erating with the cam, means extraneous 0 the cylinder but communicating therewith for confining a liquid, means cooperating with the cam for maintaining a constant capacity of the confining means irrespective of the position of the piston, ad "--table means for retarding the passage oi pne liquid through the confining means, and positively-operating mechanism for automatically supplying additional liquid to the confining means whereby the confining means is always kept full of liquid.

,6. A movable driving element, a driven element, means for confining a liquid inter-' mediate the two elements, means for 'rhaintaining a constant contact between 'the liquid and the driving and. driven elements, and means for automatically replenishing the liquid comprising a pump-cylinder carried by;

one of saidelements, a iston in theQpumpcylinder operated by t e other. element, a reservoir for holding surplus oil,-'the pumpcylinder communicating V with the reservoir and with the confining means whereby as the pistons in t valve-plate on t valve-plate, the valve-plate having passa 'es radiatm from the valve'to ports in the wheel w piston is operated by relativemovement between the driving and driven elements, 011 is pumped from the reservoirint'o the confining age from the circulatory system, means for automatically replenishing the liquid, in the circulatory system' from the supply-reservoir and means for automatically stopping the replenishing when the circulatory system is full of liquid! 8. A movable driving element, a driven element, means for con ing a liquid inter-v mediate the two elements, means for maintaining a constant contact between the liquid and the driving and driven elements, and a self-governin pump for automatically replenishing the liquid.

9. A driving element including a hollow fly-wheel, cylinders carried by the fly-wheel,

pistons in the cylinders, a driven element, a

cam therein cooperating with the pistons, a valve-plate on the fiy wheel, a valve in the.

valve-plate, the valve-plate having passa es radiating from the valve to ports in the wheel which communicate with the respec tive cylinders.

10. A driving element including a hollow,

fly-wheel, cylinders carried by the flywheel, pistons in the cylinders, a driven element,-a cam therein cooperating with the istons, a valve-plate on the fly-wheehm va ve in the valve-plate, the valve-plate having passages. radiating from the valve to ports in the wheel which communicate with the respective cylinders, the valve having a rifled stem, a non-revoluble nut on the stern, and means for slidin said nut on the stem to rotate the latter an adjust the valve.

11. A driving element including a hollow fly-wheel, cylinders carried by the. fly-Wheel,

cam therein coo era-ting with the istons, a valve-plate on the flyheel, a va ve in the valve-plate, the valve-plate having passa es radiatin from the valve to ports 1n the g wheel w ich communicate with the respective cylinders, the valve having a rifled stem,

a non-revoluble nut on the stem, a loose sleeve on the driven element engaging the nut for sliding the-same, and a lever for shifting the sleeve. Y i i l 12. A driven element including a hollow flywheel, cylinders carrieclby'the fly-wheel,

P18150118 in the cylinderafa driven element,'a

eratingwviththe istons, e. 1e fly- 'l1e'el,' a va ve in the cam therein (306 ch communicate with the respece cylinders, a driven element, a 1

xo 13. A drivingrelement including a hollow fly-Wheel, cylinders carried by the fly-wheel, pistons in the cylinders, a driven element, a gcain therein cooperating with the istons, a valve-plate on the fly-wheel, a va ve in the 4 5 valve-plate, the valve plate having passages "radiatlng from the valve to ports in the fly- Wheel which communicate with the respecrtive cylinders, a pump-cylinder carried by the fly-Wheel, the pump-cylinder having an "2: inlet communicatin withtheinterior space of the fiy-wheel, am having an outlet which communicates with a passage leadingto one of the said passages in the valve-plates, a piston in the pump-cylinder, an eccentric on the driven element, and a connection from the eccentric to the piston, the latter piston being yieldingl carried by said connection, and a check-Va ve for preventing escape of liquid i from. the valve-plate passages through the 14. A driving-shaft, a driven shaft, a holee'aoe? low fly wheel carried by the driving-shaft, a

sleeve fastened to the driven shaft and receiving the driving-shaft, a valve-plate fastened to the driving-shaft and having a hub journaled on the sleeve, cylinders carried by the fly-Wheel and connnunicatin with radiating passages formed in the va ve-plate, a

cam on said sleeve, pistons in the cylinders 40 having rollers which hear against the cam, a valve in the valve-plate for-controlling the circulation of liquid through the passages in the valve-plate, thevalve having a rifled stern, a non-revolublenut on the stern", a

shift-sleeve on the first-mentioned sleeve and having a groove which engages-the nut, a forked lever engaging another groove in the shift-sleeve for operating it, a pump carried by the driving element, aneccentric on the first-named sleeve adjacent the cam, and a connection from the eccentric to the pump for operating the same when-relative movement occurs between the driving and driven elements.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand, at Los Angeles, California, this 9th day of January, 1906: I

' PERCY F. RICE,

In presence of GEORGE T. HAoKLEY, VERNA' A. TALBERT. 

